Drifting-valve for locomotive-engines.



H. G. MANCHESTER & S. S. RIEGEL. DRIFTING VALVE FOR LOGOMOTIVEENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.Z1,191B.

Patented July 21, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

' FlGvl INVENTOHS WITNESSES 5m H. G. MANCHESTER & S. S. RIEGEL.

DRIFTING VALVE FOR LOOOMOTIVE ENGINES.

APRLIQATIQN FILED AUG.21, 1913.

1,104,306 Patented July .21, 19m

' .Fie-s- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG-4- WITNESSES I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. MANCHESTER AND SAMUEL S. RI]?!GEL, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

, nnIFTme-vALvE FOR IIOCOMOTIVEFENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented July 21, 1914.

Application filed August 21,1913. Serial N 0. 785,888.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY C. MANCHES- TERand SAMUEL S. RIEGEL, both of Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna andState of Pennsylvania, have jointly invented a certain new and uesfulImprovement in Drifting-Valves for Locomotive-Engines, of whichimprovement the following is a specification.

This invention relates to-valve devices for controlling the supply of alimited quantity of steam to the valve chest and cylinders of alocomotive engine when drifting, or running with throttle closed, forthe purpose of preventing the formation of a vacuum in the cylinders andinsuring a sufiicient lubrication; the object of the invention being toprovide an improved valve device of this character, which shall be ofsimple construction, readily applicable to existing engines, and shalloperate automatically, under the opposing pressures of the valve chestor cylinders and the live steam from the boiler,to close when thethrottle is open, and to. open and permit a small quantity of steam toflow to the cylinders when the supply of steam through the throttle iscut oif and the engine continues running.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a central section of one formof valve device embodying our improvement; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectionof the same, taken on the line a a of Fig. 1; Fig. 8, a section similarto Fig. 1, but showing a structural modification; and Fig. 4, ahorizontal section taken on the line b b of Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, our improved valve device comprises a casinghaving connections adapted to communicate respectively with the valvechest, or engine cyl1ndew, and a live steam supply from the boiler, andcontaining a'valve subject on one side to the pressure from the valvechest tending to close the same, and on the opposite side to live steampressure tending toopen said valve, a portion of its area being exposedto the atm0sphere.

According to the preferred construction, the valve. casing consists of abody ortion, 5, a cap portion, 5 having a cylindrical projection,.5 andan annular chamber, 5, having a cylindrical boreconcentric with theprojection, 5 The hollow cylindrical member, 5, may, for convenience, beformed separate from the shell or body, 5, and be inserted through anopening therein, in which position it is securely clamped by the capmember, 5*, either with bolts, as indicated in Fig. 1, or with a screwconnection, as shown in Fig. 3. The body, 5, of the valve casing,communicates with the cylinder or valve chest of the locomotive, througha lateral pipe or nozzle, 7.

v The valve, 6, is in the form of an inverted cup with a closed top andcylindrical side wall, 6, adapted for a sliding fit within the annularspace between'the parts, 5 and 5, packing rings being mounted upon theouter surface of the wall, 6, engaging the chamber, 5, and upon theprojection, 5", engaging the inner cylindrical surface of the wall, 6 ofthecup valve, which is provided with radial ports, 6 adapted to registerwith corresponding ports, 5, in the cylindrical chamber, 5, when thevalve is in its upper or open position. A passage, 5 formed in thecap'member and its projection, communicates with the space within thecup valve above said projection, and may be connected at its outer endby a pipe, 8, with the live steam supply from the boiler, as indicatedin Fig, 1, or the cap member may have a threaded nipple for making adirect connection to a boiler fitting, as indicated in Fig. 3. Theannular chamber below the end of'the cylindrical wall, 6, of the valve,communicates with the atmosphere through passages, 5. A stop, 10, may beemployed for limiting the upward movement of the valve at the pointwhere its ports are fully open.

It will be seen that the upper side of the valve is subject, throughoutits entire area,

to the pressure from the engine valve chest,

acting in a direction tending to move said valve to its closed position,while the under side of the valve is subject to atmospheric pressureupon its annular portion, and to live steam pressure upon the areawithin the cup, acting in a direction tending to move said valveto itsopen position.

When the engine is running with the throttle open, the steam pressurefrom the engine valve chest, acting upon the entire area of the valve,6, forces the same down to it closedposition against the live steampressure acting upon the smaller area within the cup, and holds thevalve in this position as long as the throttle remains open. When,however, the; main steam supply to the engine valve chest'and cylindersis cut .face of the valve, 6.

off by closing the throttle, and the engine continues running, themovement of the pistons tends to form a vacuum in the cylinders andvalve chest, and thereby rapidly diminishes the pressure acting on theupper sur- As soon as this'pressure is sufficiently reduced to beoverbalanced by the higher live steam pressure acting upon the smallerarea within the cup, the

. valve, 6, overbalances the pressure upon the smaller area on the underside of the valve, and moves the same down to its closed position; thusit appears that'the operation of our improved valve device is entirelyautomatic, and requires substantially no attention on the part of theengineer. If the engine should remain at a standstill with the valvedevice open, the steam would continue to flow through the valve into thesteam chest and cylinders until a sufficient pressure accumulatedtherein to close the valve, and prevent a furtherrise in pressure. Onaccount of the differential areas of the valve, the pressure thusadmitted to the engine will be very much less than the boiler pressureand not suificient to start the engine. If it be desired to vary themaximum degree of pressure which may thus be admitted through the valvedevice, or in other words, to adjust the degree of pressure at which thevalve will automatically close, a spring, 11, such as shown in Fig. 8,may be employed, acting between the top of the valve, 6, and an adustable screw plug 12, mounted in the casing, and having a loci: nut,13. This spring assists the steam pressure in closing t e valve, and byadjusting the screw p ug, the maximum degree of pressure admittedthrough thevalve device may be limited to any desired safe dean hold thevalve closed tightly upon its seat, the engaging surfaces between theend of the projection, 5 and the under side of the valve being referablyfinished to provide a seat for t e same. A pressure operated drainvalve, 9, as indicated in Fig. 1,

may be employed, if desired, for draining out water of condensation whenthe steam pressure is shut off from the pipe, 8, which is connected tothe lower end of the cylindrical projection, 5 as in Fig. 1.

We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a drifting valve device for.locomotive engines, the combination ofa casing having connections adapted to communicate respectively with adistribution valve chest and a boiler steam supply, and a valve forcontrolling the flow of steam through the casing, said valve beingsubject in one direction to the pressure from the valvechest tending toclose the same, and in the 0 p0- site direction to the live steampressure rom the boiler tending to open said valve.

2. In a drifting valve device for 'locoinotive engines, the combinationof a casing having connections adapted to communicate respectively witha distribution valve chest and a boiler steam supply, and a valvecontrolling the admission of a limited quantity of live steam, saidvalve having means subject to the opposing pressures of the valve chestand the boiler for operating the same.

3. In a drifting valve device for locomotive engines, the combination ofa casing having connections adapted to communicate respectively with a,distribution valve chest and a boilersteam supply, and a valve forcontrolling the flow of steam from the latter to the former, said valvehaving a larger area subject to the valve chest pressure tending toclose the same, and a smaller area subject to the boiler pressure in theopposite direction tending to open saidvalve, a

ject to the opposing pressures of the valve chest on one side, and tothe boiler pressure and the atmosphere on the other side for controllingthe flow of steam through the casing.

5. In a drifting valve device for locomotive engines, the combination ofa casing having connections adapted to communicate respectively with adistribution valve chest and a boiler steam supply, a cylindrical flangewithin said casing, a cup shaped valve mounted in said cylindricalflange, and a cylindrical projection extending within the cup valve. I

6. In a drifting valve for locomotive engines, the combination of acasing having a cylindrical flange, and a cap portion having acylindrical projection concentric with said flange, and a cup valvehaving its cylindrical wall mounted between said flange and projection.

greases 7. In a drifting valve device for locomotive engines, thecombination'oi a casing having connections adapted to communicaterespectively with a distribution valve chest and a boiler steam supply,a differential valve in said casing for controlling the ilovv of steamtherethrough and having a larger area subject to. the pressure from thevalve chest tending to close the valve, and a smaller area subject tolive steam pressure from the boiler tending to open the valve, and aspring acting on said valve tending to close the same.

S. in a drifting valve device for locomotive engines, the combination ofa casing having connections adapted to communicate respectively with adistribution valve chest and a boiler steam supply, and a valve subjectto the opposing pressures of the valve chest on one side and to theboiler steam pressure on a portion ef its area and to the atmosphere onanother portion of its area on the other side, and an adjustable springacting on said valve to assist the pressure from the valve chest inclosing said valve.

In a drifting valve device for locorn0- tive engines, the combination ofa casing having connect-ions adapted to communicate respectively withthe distribution valve chest and a boiler steam supply, a piston valvetherein subject to the opposing fluid pressures for controlling the flowor" a limited quantitv of live steam to the valve chest, a springtending to close said valve, and an adjustable plug for said spring.

10. In a drifting valve device for locomotive engines, the combinationof a casing having connections adapted to communicate respectively Withthe distribution valve chest and a boiler steam supply, a piston valvetherein subject to the opposing fluid pressures for controlling the flowof a limited quantity er live steam to the valve chest, a spring tendingto close said valve, an adjustable plug for said spring, and anadjustable stem extending through said plug "for holding the valveclosed.-

HENRY C. MANCHESTER. SAMUEL S. BIEGEL Witnesses FRANK J. Son'uAMM, A.Caernrvrrn.

